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Name of creator

Biographical history

Bill Freedman, born January 20, 1950, was a dedicated naturalist, conservationist and esteemed Environmental Scientist. He was a professor and researcher in the Department of Biology and in the School for Resource and Environmental Studies at Dalhousie University from 1979 to 2015. Throughout his career, he served as Chair of the Biology Department from 2000-2007, held the George H.S. Campbell Chair in Biology from 2007-2010 and was appointed an Emeritus Professor when he retired in 2015.

Freedman’s work examines the effects of human economic activities on ecosystems and biodiversity. His research was largely carried out in the Arctic and in boreal and temperate forest regions of Canada. However, he also travelled to various other countries to observe ecosystems and biodiversity on a global scale. Freedman was a vigorous writer, publishing ten books (including the first Canadian Environmental Science textbook), more than one hundred peer-reviewed journal articles, hundreds of government reports and several thousand encyclopedia entries.

In 2006, he was the recipient of the Canadian Environmental Award, Gold Medal Level in the category of Community Awards for Conservation from the Canadian Geographic Society and, in 2007, he received a Career Achievement Award from the Canadian Council of University Biology Chairs.

Outside of academia, Freedman dedicated his time to volunteering with the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC), assuming a number of roles including twenty-six years on the national Board of Directors (1991-2015) and a term as Chair of the Board of Directors. Shortly after his death, the NCC dedicated a coastal reserve in Prospect, Nova Scotia in his honour, renaming it the Dr. Bill Freedman Nature Reserve.

Freedman died September 26, 2015.

Custodial history

Scope and content

File contains correspondence to Freedman regarding his re-appointment as the Chair Biology at Dalhousie University, effective July 1, 2004 through June 30, 2007.